ENG-2009 — Page 480

400 Recreation, Sport and the Arts

different sports and won 160 medals. They were outstanding in table tennis, archery, wheelchair tennis and badminton.

The wheelchair fencing team also impressed in a series of World Cup competitions, while 28 young athletes from special schools represented Hong Kong with distinction at the Pacific Schools Meet in Canberra and the 2009 Para Youth Games in Tokyo.

Another high point was the 3rd Asia and South Pacific Boccia Championships 2009, a pre-Paralympic qualifying competition for the 2012 London Paralympic Games, which was organised successfully by the association despite the tight time-frame of less than nine months.

The association was bestowed with a 'Leader of the Year' award by the Sing Tao News Corporation Limited for its sterling work.

Hong Kong Sports Association for the Mentally Handicapped

The Hong Kong Sports Association for the Mentally Handicapped develops, promotes and organises sporting activities for people with intellectual disability to help them develop fully their potential in sports, to help them cultivate positive attitudes in sportsmanship and to facilitate their integration into the community. The association provides sports training and competitions which had an attendance rate of 35 000 in 2009. Over the years, the association had been steadily developing a training programme to cater for all levels of ability.

Athletes took part in many international competitions during the year and made the most of these events to sharpen their skills. Highlights included the 5th Daegu University President's Cup International Adaptive Indoor Rowing Competition in Korea at which Hong Kong won two gold and two silver medals; the 2nd INAS-FID Global Games in Czech Republic at which Hong Kong won 10 gold, 10 silver and eight bronze medals; the FISA World Rowing Championships in Poland at which Hong Kong won one gold medal; the Tokyo 2009 Asian Youth Para Games in Japan at which Hong Kong won seven gold, eight silver and 12 bronze medals; the 1st INAS-FID World Indoor Rowing Championships in Hong Kong at which Hong Kong won two gold, three silver and two bronze medals; the 2009 IPC Swimming European Championships in Iceland at which Hong Kong won two silver and one bronze medals.

Hong Kong athletes also achieved excellent results at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in America, the 2009 Special Olympics East Asia Regional Bocce Competition in Korea, the 2009 Special Olympics International Golf Tournament in Chinese Taipei and the 2009 Special Olympics East Asia Regional Football Competition in China. A total of 129 medals, comprising 38 gold, 45 silver and 46 bronze was won by the intellectually disabled athletes during the year.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884 and marking its 125th Anniversary this season, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has become one of the world's largest and most respected racing

Page 480Page 481